RTC ROI FTW

You’re happily back from RTC North America (which was kicking off this time last month) and you went while a lot of people in your firm didn’t. Isn’t life grand? No! You’ve got a lot of work to do!

Going to RTC is a substantial investment made by your firm. Want to come back to RTC next year in Toronto? Then you’d better return on that investment. Bring back some goodness and spread it around!

1. Within a couple days of returning, send your partners and principals an Executive Brief. It should fit on one side of one letter/A4 sized piece of paper. It must be very concise. It should contain the following and probably nothing more. If leadership wants to know more – they’ll ask.
– Outline main takeaways from conference
– Summarize in terms of how it relates to your firm
– A list and indication of which items are of most importance

2. Within a week, organize a meeting below Partners and Principals. Call it something like, “Leadership Technology: Update and Strategy”. Typically for leadership and project managers. Directors and V-Level. Not C-Level. Set aside 30 minutes but plan for 45. No more than 10 slides.
– Choose leadership with influence that have a stake in Revit/relevant projects
– Indicate that they are essential to planning the next steps
– Give real-world examples of how other firms are using technology to win work and increase profitability

3. Within a month of returning from RTC, present detailed highlights of what you learned that will help improve day to day workflows. Keep it light and fun. Block out 45 minutes but plan for an hour. Don’t get into technical minutia. If something resonates with a few people – don’t go into the weeds and bore the rest of the room. Follow up with individualized one-on-one or schedule a deeper technical dive with a training session. 30 slides tops.
– Top 10: Tips and Tricks
– New tools technologies
– Technology futures and things to come

That’s it! Think of yourself as the “Special Forces of BIM Reconnaissance”. You’ve been asked by leadership to sneak over the next hill, observe the field of battle, take notes and then report back to the Generals, Officers and Infantry behind the lines. Have you filed your reports?

RTC is either an expense or an investment. If your company doesn’t get the money back – it’s an expense. But if the money spent on attending RTC improves workflow and time to market well beyond the cost of attending, then it’s a valuable investment. By returning on that investment you’re communicating that you’re in tune with your firms business goals. This in turn increases the likelihood of being able to return next year.